Season

Episode

Phantom for the First Course

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On this episode, the Ghost Hunters motor on to Detroit, Michigan to investigate The Whitney House. This beautiful mansion-turned-restaurant is steeped in history, and paranormal activity.

A logging baron, David Whitney, built the building near the turn of the century. At the time, he was the wealthiest man in Detroit. Both he and his wife, Sarah died in the home. Years later, the building was a nursing facility, where several people passed away. It's up to TAPS to determine which of these souls is still wandering the premises.

Father and son team Bud and Patrick Liebler own The Whitney restaurant, but they are concerned about the paranormal activity they and their employees are experiencing. Staff members are sometimes afraid, and some have even left out of fear for what is going on.

The claims are significant. There have been full-bodied apparitions of both men and women wandering about the building. In the carriage house, activity kicked up so much when a tea set was moved that Patrick and Bud decided to return it to it's position on a table out of respect to the angry spirit. (Which could be Grace, daughter of David Whitney.)

Other claims include footsteps, unexplained wind movement, weird noises, and an elevator that seems to follow people from floor to floor. Interestingly, a female customer once complimented the bartender on how lovely the bathroom attendant was. Except, there was no bathroom attendant. Hmmmm…

The team pays close attention to the hot spots in the building. KJ and Dustin attempt to instigate the carriage house ghost by moving the tea set, and it works! The recording picks up a female voice at the same time that they hear footsteps and an odd noise. Samantha and Shari hear banging sounds and have a large stone crash down near them in the carriage house. On the debunking side, Jason and Steve are able to determine that the elevator doors open automatically every five minutes on whichever floor the car is on, which explains the claim that the elevator is haunted. And they also find hidden compartments that could create drafts, explaining the wind movement.

The most shocking experience is when Dave Tango and a cameraman, while resting, see a floating light move its way down the stairs and turn and leave the room. It's an incredible occurrence. Bud and Patrick are relieved that the team was able to validate some of their experiences, and feel reassured that the ghosts of The Whitney are more protective than sinister.